Ahead of former President Donald Trump’s trip to Capitol Hill on Thursday to meet with Republicans, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) warned that he was threatening the nation’s democracy.
Pelosi shared her comments in a statement to Politico, noting that the former president was returning to the scene of a “crime,” referencing the Jan. 6 Capitol riots that she says saw “Nazi and Confederate flags flying under the dome that Lincoln built.”
“It was a crime against the Constitution and its peaceful transfer of power, in a desperate attempt to cling to power,” Pelosi said. “And it was a crime against members, heroic police officers and staff, that resulted in death, injury, and trauma that endure to this day.”
Trump has not returned to visit the Capitol since Jan. 6, 2021, when his supporters rioted and stormed into the building to protest the results of the 2020 election and President Joe Biden’s victory.
In her statement, Pelosi brought attention to Trump’s former comments about wanting to be a “dictator for a day” if he wins the 2024 election.
“With his pledges to be a dictator on day one and seek revenge against his political opponents, Donald Trump comes to Capitol Hill today with the same mission of dismantling our democracy,” Pelosi said. “But make no mistake — Trump has already cemented his legacy of shame in our hallowed halls.”
As for Trump’s meeting, the former president sat down with a group of Senate Republicans for a policy-focused discussion as he continues to campaign for the White House.
A spokesperson for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) shared with The Hill that during his Capitol visit, Trump was also going to “discuss growing the House Republican majority and the 2025 legislative agenda” with GOP representatives.